Ethanol or ethyl alcohol (C2H5OH) is a clear colourless liquid, mainly produced by the sugar fermentation process, although it can also be manufactured by the chemical process of reacting ethylene with steam. The main sources of sugar required to produce ethanol come from fuel or energy crops. These crops are grown specifically for energy use and include corn, maize and wheat crops, waste straw, willow and popular trees, sawdust, reed canary grass, cord grasses, jerusalem artichoke, myscanthus and sorghum plants. There is also ongoing research and development into the use of municipal solid wastes to produce ethanol fuel.
Ethanol burns to produce carbon dioxide and water meaning that it is perfectly suited to being used in fires as it does not require a flue or are restricted into the location of a gas supply. This means the bioethanol fires are both incredibly efficient and very very flexible, with portable models available to be taken outside in summer